Selective Voice Mail Service Profile-Based Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of mobile telephone devices often receive unwanted voice mail messages from callers, such as telemarketers, leading to wasted time and resource expenditure for carriers in storing these messages, as existing methods like blacklists do not effectively block voice mail messages while allowing calls from specific numbers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a selective voice mail service that allows voice mail servers to only permit messages from callers whose contact information is specified in the user's profile, enabling users to whitelist or blacklist specific telephone numbers or blocks, thereby controlling who can leave voice mail messages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user creates a blacklist of telephone numbers to block incoming calls, then calls from those numbers are blocked, but the user cannot selectively block only voice mail messages while allowing calls, and carriers still expend storage resources on unwanted voice mail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the call handling function by introducing a voice mail-specific blacklist that operates independently from the general call blacklist. This allows the system to selectively block voice mail messages from certain numbers while permitting regular calls from the same numbers, thereby resolving the contradiction between selective blocking capability and storage resource conservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by checking the voice mail blacklist before allowing a voice mail message to be deposited. The voice mail server queries the user's profile to determine if the caller's number is in the voice mail blacklist, and prevents message deposition in advance, thus avoiding unnecessary storage of unwanted messages and conserving carrier resources.
2Adaptability or versatility
If carriers provide storage capacity for all voice mail messages including unwanted ones, then users can receive any voice mail, but carriers must continuously add storage resources to handle increasing amounts of unwanted messages
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by enabling users to autonomously manage their voice mail preferences through profile-based blacklists and whitelists. Users can specify which callers are permitted or blocked from leaving voice mail messages, and the voice mail server automatically enforces these preferences without requiring carrier intervention or resource allocation for unwanted messages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of voice mail accessibility by introducing conditional access control based on caller identification and user-defined profiles. Instead of universal access or complete blocking, the system dynamically adjusts voice mail deposition permissions based on the caller's number against the user's blacklist/whitelist, thereby maintaining flexibility while conserving storage resources.
3Ease of operation
If users review and delete unwanted voice mail messages, then they maintain control over their mailbox, but they waste time and energy on messages they did not want to receive
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing unwanted voice mail messages from being deposited in the first place. Through the voice mail blacklist integrated into the user profile, the system proactively blocks messages from unwanted callers before they reach the user's mailbox, thereby eliminating the need for users to review and delete such messages and conserving their time and energy.
Data Source
AI summary
A device is configured to receive a request for a first user, of a first telephone device, to leave a voice mail message for a second user of a second telephone device; retrieve a profile associated with the second telephone device and to determine, based on the profile, whether the second telephone device is registered for a selective voice mail service; determine, based on the profile, whether the first user is allowed to leave the voice mail message when the second telephone device is registered for the selective voice mail service; and allow the first user to leave the voice mail message for the second user of the second telephone device when the second telephone device is not registered for the selective voice mail service or when the first user is allowed to leave the voice mail message.